Mammoth CERT Volunteers Needed

The Mammoth Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, is looking for additional volunteers to help out if and when a major incident or disaster occurs. Volunteers are trained to help with the emergency operations center, traffic control, crime prevention, light search and rescue, and some fire suppression techniques.

Mammoth Police Lt. Jim Short got the CERT ball rolling in 2007. Since then, the CERT volunteers have already been called into action. When the Sherwin Fire burned near Mammoth last summer, CERT volunteers added to the available pool of local emergency workers.

Rather then have a pre-recorded message to tell you everything was fine, CERT members staffed the phones. When a person called the emergency operations center to ask for fire information, the information was up to date and delivered by a live person.

If you are interested in helping out, the CERT Academy starts Saturday April 25th. The classes, which include up to date CPR and first aid training, run for three consecutive Saturdays. After the three Saturdays, CERT members can remain up to date at the monthly meetings.

For more information on joining the Mammoth Community Emergency Response Team, call Lt. Jim Short at the Mammoth Police Department 934-2011.